Many hand tools (electric and manual) include a unitary body and handle having a longitudinal axis collinear with the axis of rotation of a drive member (e.g. screwdriver head), which presents an obstacle to use when attempting to secure or drive a fastener in a difficult or small working area—which is particularly prevalent in medical or surgical procedures. Attempts to address this problem have included providing a head of the hand tool that may pivot or rotate on the handle. However, such previous tools are typically limited to a small number of discrete angular positions along a single plane, e.g., adjustments are limited to perpendicular, straight or 45-degree angles. Such devices further typically include a pivoting joint that is offset or spaced away from a fastener to be driven, thus requiring some extended degree of clearance or space to be used, which can still pose difficulties to use in tortuous working spaces. In addition, tools having torque-limiting assemblies often compound the lack of maneuverability or usefulness in tight spaces because of their associated bulk and complexity.
Accordingly, in view of the above, it is desirable to provide a surgical or medical practitioner with an improved driving tool or wrench with a wide range of angular adjustability and compactness at a fastener or hardware engagement site that is readily usable in tortuous anatomical spaces and surgical sites.